Weight loss is so much more than the number on the scale. It is a life changing, emotional roller coaster of a journey. Everything that happens between the times you step on a scale should be truly appreciated and honoured.

Step 2
Order them in order of difficulty i.e. which goals will be the easiest to achieve (for me it was drinking 8 glasses of water a day) to the hardest (entering and training for a half marathon).

Step 3
CREATE YOUR MAGICAL PYRAMIDS!! (if you want a visual aid, you donít HAVE to do this!) Draw a pyramid and at the bottom write the easiest goal and continue to write the goals above the other in order of easiest-hardest.

Step 4
Starting from the bottom (if you drew the pyramids), number your nutritional and exercise goals 1 - however many goals you have. Here's an example!EXAMPLE!Here are my 2 lists:

Nutritional goals

Drink 8 glasses of water a day (1)
Make meal plans, no ready meals (2)
Don't buy junk food (3)
Start counting calories and keep a food journal (4)
Stick to a calorie limit 6 days a week (5)
No more Coke (6)
Incorporate more vegetables to meals (7)
Eat recommended daily amount of each food group (8)

Exercise goals:

Run once a week (1)
Yoga/Strength train once a week (2)
Cross train once a week (3)
Run twice a week (4)
Strength train twice a week (5)
Cross train twice a week (6)
Run 3 times a week (7)
Train for a Half Marathon (8)

The principle of this challenge is to build a healthy lifestyle slowly. You focus on one goal at a time, each divided into phases (the number next to your goal). Your aim is to achieve your goal for a certain amount of weeks before moving on to your next goal. When you move onto your next goal you still perform your previous goals, but itís not as essential if you slip up your previous goal because youíre focusing on a new, harder goal. So looking above at my exercise goals, if I were on Phase 5 - ďstrength train twice a week,Ē I would still run twice a week and cross train once a week. But if I missed a run then I wouldnít reset the entire challenge, I would focus primarily on strength training twice a week.

The reason this system is the way it is is to create a no pressure but still productive goal system. You focus on one goal at a time but once youíve completed a goal you will hopefully be able to do it no problem because you worked on it a decent amount of time to attain it. Youíre literally building a pyramid of habits that will help you towards your weight goal.

What if I fail at my goal?

Then you simply reset the clock and try again for just that goal. You never go back to the beginning, you never reset the challenge completely - you only work on your current goal.

Do I still weigh in?

Yes, if you want! We are here to lose weight after all. There will be a different sheet for weigh ins, look at the bottom of the spreadsheet! This time there are no goal weights, as this is a work in progress. Go at your own pace. You will be listed in order of % of weight loss, because hey, this is a challenge! Letís get competitive!

Will I be moved to a standby list if I donít stay accountable?

Yes, if you donít put in a mark in your cell for more than 2 weeks then you will be moved to a standby list. Please let me know in the thread that you want back in and which phase you were currently doing and Iíll put you back in.

Can I join this at any time?

Yes! Donít be worried! Just follow procedure like the rest of us and hop right in.

How do I use the spreadsheet?

There are 3 sheets for each phase. Enter your Username on Phase 1 - Nutrition and Phase 1 - Exercise. If you want to weigh in for this phase, then enter your Username on the Phase 1 - Weigh In sheet too, though this is optional.
Then write your first exercise goal (please word it simply in the spreadsheet, go into detail in the thread!) in the first exercise sheet and your nutritional goal in the nutrition sheet. When you have achieved your goal for the day then enter an X in the cell for the day you achieved it. If, like me, your exercise goal is to workout once a week then just put a ď-Ē in the cells you didnít workout.

How long do I focus on a goal for?

By the number the phase is, phase 2 would be 2 weeks, phase 8 would be 8 weeks. This challenge is a commitment, but one you wonít regret!

How many goals do I need?

As many as you want! But Iíd say at least 4 each is a decent number.

Please use this thread as a way to support each other and stay accountable for your goals. Apart of this challenge is to give and get support!

Sweet! I need to start thinking of my lists :) Thanks for setting up another fun challenge.

kailpea

01-09-2014 02:18 PM

Sounds interesting! I bet it would help me a lot to work on some Non scale related goals. Hmmm.... I'll have to start thinking about what my pyramids will look like.

kisskiss

01-09-2014 06:42 PM

Rie, thanks for hosting this challenge. I'm definitely in, I want to work on some exercise and nutritional goals versus scale related stuff :D I'll work on my list

Riestrella

01-09-2014 07:15 PM

So excited to see people on board! There's always that moment of fear where I have no idea if people will join! Can't wait to see your lists, ladies!

kailpea

01-09-2014 08:54 PM

I'm having problems with my exercise goals. Nutritional goals were easy for me to come up with but since I am terrible about getting to the gym I don't really know how to make my goals. I imagine that since this is a long term challenge, my exercise goals will change as time goes by. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that, I just don't want to make it too easy for myself in the beginning and not have it be challenging enough in the end. My first inclination was to have "go to the gym once a week' as my level 1 goal. I'm THAT terrible.

Riestrella

01-10-2014 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kailpea
(Post 4915601)

I'm having problems with my exercise goals. Nutritional goals were easy for me to come up with but since I am terrible about getting to the gym I don't really know how to make my goals. I imagine that since this is a long term challenge, my exercise goals will change as time goes by. I suppose there is nothing wrong with that, I just don't want to make it too easy for myself in the beginning and not have it be challenging enough in the end. My first inclination was to have "go to the gym once a week' as my level 1 goal. I'm THAT terrible.

Dude, just look at my exercise goals! My first goal is to run ONCE a week! The aim is to take it slowly, so I put my goal as the bare minimum and I'll work on it from there. Maybe separate your goals into categories of the gym...I would probably make gym goals look similar to my exercise goals. So perhaps:
- One cardio day a week
- One strength day a week
- One class a week
Then build it up how you want?

Riestrella

01-10-2014 10:45 AM

Spreadsheet link is up so you can have a look at what it will look like. I've entered my goals in there as an example. I'm going to wait until I'm back in Japan to weigh myself though! The last time I weighed I was 163 lbs!! That's an 8 lb gain from my last weigh in! BUT it's been the Christmas/New Year period and I've not cared about what's gone into my mouth!

Dreamer2012

01-10-2014 01:40 PM

I love love love this idea!!! ;) I'm so in...I'm going to start thing of my lists, there are definitely things I want to work on.

Would it be possible to take a break? I've a two week holiday in March. The way you seem to be going about this (i.e Phase 1= 1 week, Phase 2= 2 weeks), this will go on for a number of months. So I actually worked it out (provided I don't fail a goal), I'd be going into Phase 4 when I'm on holidays. Would it be possible to do to Phase 3, go on my holiday and start back on Phase 4? Would this be considered cheating or anything?

Riestrella

01-10-2014 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dreamer2012
(Post 4916173)

I love love love this idea!!! ;) I'm so in...I'm going to start thing of my lists, there are definitely things I want to work on.

Would it be possible to take a break? I've a two week holiday in March. The way you seem to be going about this (i.e Phase 1= 1 week, Phase 2= 2 weeks), this will go on for a number of months. So I actually worked it out (provided I don't fail a goal), I'd be going into Phase 4 when I'm on holidays. Would it be possible to do to Phase 3, go on my holiday and start back on Phase 4? Would this be considered cheating or anything?

Of course you can take a break if you want! There is no time limit to this challenge! Just start phase 4 when you're back :)

ParkTrot

01-10-2014 10:05 PM

Fantastic idea...I've been wanting to get re-active in the forum and challenges but have had to avoid it due to some eating disorder tendencies I was developing from daily weighing :\. In order to fix those/take care of my mental health, the weight challenges had/have to go for awhile. But I'd love to get in on this! Going to make a healthy dinner and then read through the original post more thoroughly to make sure I do everything correctly :).

kailpea

01-11-2014 05:36 PM

I'm still in the process of writing my goals, but this is my first draft. These might change before the 27th. I decided to have 8 tiers for both nutritional and exercise because if I am able to keep up with the goals each week without starting over, its makes it 36 weeks total, or about 9 months. That seemed like a nice even number to me.

For Nutritional I have:

1. Log all food into My Fitness Pal
2. Drink 8 glasses of water a day
3. Plan all meals, no eating out alone. Try to plan for meals that will be eaten out to compensate for the extra calories.
4. No carbonated beverages, diet or otherwise.
5. No high fructose corn syrup
6. Don't buy any food with hydrogenated oils
7. No more refined grains
8. Stick with whole foods

I feel like the 4-7 are kind of building blocks for number 8 so eating whole foods will be a lot easier as I start eliminating some of the items that are found in processed foods.

For exercise I really want to work up to working out 5 days a week with two days off. I want to to be a routine thing that I do just as easily as brushing my teeth in the morning.

1. Cardio 2 times a week
2. Strength train 1 time a week
3. Exercise outside of the gym 1 time a week
4. Cardio 3 times per week
5. Strength train 2 times a week
6. Enter and Run/Jog a 5K
7. Cardio 4 times a week
8. Strength train 3 times a week

I'll have to eventually do some strength training and cardio on the same days. Right now I just do cardio, I haven't done a lot of strength training.

So that's what I have as a of right now. This might change a little. Especially the exercise one. =)

Riestrella: I would like to write about this challenge and keep track of my progress with it in my blog. Do you mind if I provide a link to your blog post about it and this forum challenge in any future posts I might make?

Dreamer2012

01-12-2014 05:07 AM

I thought about this over the last day or so. Here’s what I have come up with. It's a draft list at the moment, so I may come back before the 27th and make a final edit. They are looking good to me now. But might think of something else in the next few weeks.

Nutritional Goals:
1: Plan lunches for the week, stick to food plan.
2: Bring lunch to work four days a week
3: Drink 2L of water a day
4: Eat at least five kinds of fruits and veg a day
5: Do not grab something from the shop on the way home from work
6: Chocolate only ONCE a week as a treat
7: Fizzy drinks only ONCE a week as a treat

I can’t give chocolate and fizzy drinks up, these is going to be so hard…

Exercise Goals:
1: Gym on both Saturday/Sunday
2: Gym once during weekdays
3: Strength training twice a week
4: Run on a mile on treadmill twice a week
5: Gym twice during weekdays
6: Gym three times during weekdays
7: Strength training four times a week

I focused all my exercise in the gym because that’s where I feel I really get my exercise done. I tried to go one step further for each phase. I’m struggling with going to the gym during the week; this is why I have listed it three times during the phases, increasing it by each day. Each will be challenge in itself!

kisskiss

01-13-2014 12:50 PM

I’ve been thinking about my goals and finally have an idea of what they will look like. I might modify and add to this before we start the actual challenge because I’m still thinking about it. For Exercise goals, I really want to get back to exercising 5-6 days a week (be it cardio, strength training aerobic) and so my pyramid leads to incorporating more exercise as I complete a phase. With nutritional goals, I really need to be a better planner and a better eater, so hopefully doing this by phases will get me into the habit of preparing healthy meals. Last year I gave up regular coke (which was so HARD for me). This year, I really want to replace DC with water. I almost listed that one as my last phase lol, that’s how bad it is.

Nutritional Goals:
Drink 8 glasses of water a day. (1)
Plan 4/5 lunches at work. (2)
No snacking on junk food (3)
Drink water instead of diet soda for dinner. (4)
Eat 4 home cooked healthy dinners a week. (5)Exercise Goals:
Hike once a week. (1)
Try yoga once a week. (2)
Run at least 2 miles a week. (3)
Do weights twice a week. (4)
Cardio 4x a week (this includes hiking and running) (5)

Riestrella

01-13-2014 03:42 PM

It's so great to see you all putting up your goals! I think it's great to share so we can get ideas from one another. It's ok to change your goals during the challenge if you feel it's necessary, but let's do our best to stick to the goals we've set out for ourselves. It's got to be challenging! I've added more nutritional goals for myself to gradually build up to my goal, funnily enough eating vegetables is one of the hardest things for me! I grew up a very meat/grain person so it's hard for me to adapt to eating more vegetables, which is why it's number 7!

Nutritional goals

Drink 8 glasses of water a day (1)
Make meal plans, no ready meals (2)
Don't buy junk food (3)
Start counting calories and keep a food journal (4)
Stick to a calorie limit 6 days a week (5)
No more Coke (6)
Incorporate more vegetables to meals (7)
Eat recommended daily amount of each food group (8)

Exercise goals:

Run once a week (1)
Yoga/Strength train once a week (2)
Cross train once a week (3)
Run twice a week (4)
Strength train twice a week (5)
Cross train twice a week (6)
Run 3 times a week (7)
Train for a Half Marathon (8)